Title:  Chitosan-containing soft capsule and process for producing the same

United States Patent:  6,190,694

Assignee:  Satoh; Toshio (JP); LTT Institute Co., Ltd. (JP); V-Tec Co., Ltd. (JP)

Filed:  October 11, 1999

Foreign Application Priority Data:  Apr 05, 1999[JP] (11-098146)

The present invention relates to a process for producing a chitosan-containing soft capsule. The process includes the steps of rendering chitosan a powder; adding the chitosan powder, powder comprising an organic acid and a salt thereof, and an emulsifier to an oil or fat; stirring the resultant mixture so as to suspend the powders, to thereby obtain a gel-like stock; and feeding the gel-like stock and a gelatin solution for coating into an automated encapsulation machine, to effect encapsulation of the stock with gelatin.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present inventors have considered that development of pharmaceuticals or health foods which can be easily ingested by hypertensives in their daily life without worry about adverse side effects would be useful in treatment of hypertension, and have attempted to encapsulate a cuttlefish-chitosan aqueous solution, thus leading to completion of the invention.

In view of the foregoing, an object of the present invention is to provide a chitosan soft capsule. Another object of the present invention is to provide a process for producing the same.

Accordingly, in a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a process for producing a chitosan-containing soft capsule comprising the following steps:

rendering chitosan into a powder;

adding the chitosan powder, powder comprising an organic acid and a salt thereof, and an emulsifier to an oil or fat;

stirring the resultant mixture so as to suspend the powders, to thereby obtain a gel-like stock; and

feeding the gel-like stock and a gelatin solution for coating into an automated encapsulation machine, to effect encapsulation of the stock with gelatin.

In a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a chitosan-containing soft capsule comprising a capsule enclosing a composition which contains chitosan powder and powder comprising an organic acid and a salt thereof which are suspended in an emulsifier-added oil or fat.

Preferably, the organic acid is an amino acid such as glutamic acid or aspartic acid; a hydroxycarboxylic acid such as glycolic acid, lactic acid, malic acid, citric acid, tartaric acid, gluconic acid, or ascorbic acid; or a pyrrolidonecarboxylic acid such as pyroglutamic acid.

Preferably, the organic acid and the salt are glutamic acid and sodium glutamate.

Preferably, the oil or fat is soybean oil, sesame oil, olive oil, rapeseed oil, cottonseed oil, rice oil, corn oil, evening primrose oil, safflower oil, palm oil, castor oil, sardine oil, herring oil, cod oil, shark oil, cuttlefish oil, whale oil, dolphin oil, roach oil, carp oil, eel oil, hyperoratia oil, euphausian oil, chrysalis oil, lard, or beef tallow.

Preferably, the chitosan is derived from cuttlefish.

Claim 1 of 12 Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A process for producing a chitosan-containing soft capsule comprising the following steps:

rendering chitosan into a powder;

adding the chitosan powder, powder comprising an organic acid and a salt thereof, and an emulsifier to an oil or fat;

stirring the resultant mixture so as to suspend the powders, to thereby obtain a suspension; and

feeding the suspension and a gelatin solution for coating into an automated encapsulation machine, to effect encapsulation of the stock with gelatin.

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